Becoming the Master
by likemycoffee
Summary: Before Theta flees Gallifrey, he pays a visit to his best friend. Theta/Koschei slash. M/M relationship. No specific spoilers could be seen as slightly AU.


Koschei couldn't sleep. He lay in his bed staring up at the ceiling trying to switch his mind off from the events of the day. He gazed out through the open shutters and stared up at the night sky. He felt his hearts ache with loneliness as he wondered where Theta was now.

The authorities had told him that Theta had stolen a TARDIS and so that meant almost certainly that he had left Gallifrey. He would be off amongst the stars, visiting the worlds that once the two of them had read about in books from the Great Library.

He wondered if Theta was following their route across the universe, the one they had starting planning at the age of eight on the lawns of Koschei's father's estate as they'd sat together and watched the stars lighting up the night sky, or whether he was just moving from place to place at random, trying to stay one step ahead of the Time Lords.

The questioning had gone on for hours. They had all been questioned, of course. All of Theta's friends and associates from the Academy; but his questioning had been the most rigorous because it was known – of course it was known that he and Theta were lifelong friends and in the eyes of the authorities, it seemed that made him the most likely to know where Theta was hiding.

'_When did you see him last?'_

'_Two nights ago at his father's house.'_

'_What did you talk about?'_

'_Nothing of any real significance.'_

'_Where is he now?'_

'_Your guess is as good as mine.'_

'_You're his closest companion. He must have told you something of his plans?'_

'_He didn't tell me anything.'_ It was the truth, of course but it didn't stop Koschei from privately adding, _'even if he had, I wouldn't tell you.'_

He knew that they didn't believe him. They hadn't wanted to let him go, so certain had they been that he knew something of his friend's whereabouts. Koschei knew that he was lucky that the authorities had no idea of the true nature of his and Theta's relationship. It was only pressure from his father that had forced them to release him at all; had they known the truth they would probably have him there still; spending the night in a holding cell.

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap_

Koschei closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sound of the drumming. The drums had been quiet for months now, ever since that night he'd spent with Theta on Mount Perdition when they'd... how typical just when Koschei really wanted to succumb to the oblivion of sleep and forget this awful day that they should return. Doubtless he would now be awake all night.

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap_

Koschei sat up in his bed. It wasn't the drumming; it was too irregular, it wasn't the harsh rhythmic beat that he loathed so much. It was softer, gentler. It was stones he realised; someone was throwing stones up at his bedroom window.

He climbed out of bed and moved cautiously towards the window and saw him; Theta. He was standing in the bushes below. Koschei felt his hearts leap as he pulled the window open.

'What are you doing here?' he called down in a loud whisper, terrified that someone sleeping in the nearby rooms would hear him.

'Come down,' Theta gestured frantically to him.

'If they find you...' Koschei warned, but the pleading look in Theta's eyes was enough to convince him to obey – it always was. He sometimes wondered why he'd ever decided to call himself the Master when Theta had always had this much power over him.

Koschei closed the window and saw Theta slip back into the concealment provided by the bushes. He pulled on his shoes and outdoor clothes before carefully making his way to the bedroom door.

He knew he would have to use stealth. If his father, or anyone else in the household for that matter, discovered him sneaking out in the middle of the night, not only would he be in trouble but they would probably guess what he was up to and they would raise the alarm – and then they would find Theta.

He wouldn't let that happen. It didn't bear thinking about.

Koschei moved quickly down the back staircase and slipped out through a side door, he made his way through the gardens until he came upon the patch of bushes where he knew his friend was hiding.

'Theta?' he whispered. 'Theta? Where are you?'

'Here,' came the whispered response and Koschei saw his friend crouched down in the dark undergrowth. Theta reached for Koschei's hand and pulled him down into a kiss, a kiss that Koschei knew they had both been desperately craving since the last time they'd been able to be together two nights ago and that he'd needed all the more when he'd feared he would never see Theta again.

'Come on,' Theta said when they broke apart. 'We don't have much time.'

Koschei allowed Theta to lead him through the familiar landscape away from his father's house and up into the hills that had been their childhood playground, the slopes of Mount Perdition.

'Where are we going?' Koschei asked repeatedly but Theta would not answer him until they reached the shelter of a clump of trees. Then Theta stopped walking and turned to face Koschei, still not letting go of his hand.

'I'm so sorry Kosch,' he said softly and Koschei became aware of the tears in his friend's eyes, threatening to spill over.

'What's going on Theta?' he asked bringing his hand up to caress his friend's cheek lightly.

'I have to go,' Theta explained. 'I'm leaving Gallifrey Kosch – I – I can't stay.'

'I know,' Koschei nodded. 'I thought you'd already left. I thought I'd never see you again. They – they brought me in for questioning. They wanted to know if I knew where you were.'

Theta's eyes went wide. 'Did they hurt you?'

Koschei shook his head. 'No – they wouldn't dare. My father has too much influence.'

Theta nodded.

'I wouldn't have told them anything anyway. Even if I had known where you were I wouldn't have told them.'

'I know,' Theta replied. 'I'm sorry. I've been hiding all day – I wanted to see you before – before I left.'

'Where are you going?' Koschei asked. 'Did you really steal a TARDIS?'

'Yes,' Theta nodded. 'I had no choice – they'll – they'll kill me if I stay Kosch. You know they will.'

'But – can you even fly a TARDIS?'

Theta shrugged. 'She doesn't like me very much I don't think. She doesn't want to work for me.'

'Take me with you,' Koschei asked. 'It'll be easier with two.'

'I can't,' Theta replied with tears in his eyes. 'If you come with me we'll both be targets.'

'But I'll never see you again will I?'

A trickle of tears escaped Theta's eyes and Koschei knew that he was right.

'I won't make you a fugitive too, Kosch. It's too dangerous.'

'I don't care about the danger,' Koschei said quietly. 'I thought you loved me.'

'I do,' Theta tried to reassure him. 'I do Kosch – I promise.'

'You promised yourself to me Theta.'

'I have to keep you safe, Kosch. I don't know what's going to happen to me. I need to know that at least you're safe here.'

'Safe? Safe where they'll be watching my every move for the slightest sign that I might have been in contact with you? How will I be safe Theta? Not knowing where you are or if you're hurt; and they'll find out what we are to each other...'

'They won't Kosch.'

'They will Thete. You know as well as I do that it's only a matter of time. When my father tries to find me a partner they will find out. I can't be bonded to someone else if I'm already bonded to you.'

Koschei saw Theta's eyes darken. He looked down at the ground.

'You can if we release each other,' Theta said quietly.

'What?' Koschei's voice was small, scarcely more than a whisper.

'It was never official,' Theta said desperately willing his voice not to break; not to show Koschei that his hearts were breaking inside his chest. 'It's not eternally binding.'

'It was real,' Koschei replied. 'You know it was real. We may not have had the ceremony, but our souls bonded together. You know they did.'

'We were just children then. We didn't understand what we were doing.'

'We understood,' Koschei replied. 'We understood and we both wanted it.'

'We can release each other from the bond and be free.'

'Is that what you really want Theta?' Koschei asked. 'You don't want to be bonded anymore – you want to be free?'

Theta couldn't bring himself to say the words so he forced himself to nod his head.

'And you could stand it?' Koschei asked him again. 'You could stand it knowing that I was bonded to someone else?'

Theta knew he was going to have to do this. He had to do this if he wanted to keep Koschei safe. It was the only way. Where was the sense in destroying two lives? Koschei had to stay on Gallifrey. He could start his life again. He would find another partner. He would – bond again.

The thought of Koschei being bonded to someone else made Theta sick to his stomach with jealousy but he couldn't let Koschei see that. He knew that If Koschei thought there was the slightest chance then he would refuse to break the bond and that meant he would be in danger forever.

'It is,' he said softly.

Koschei looked down at the ground he felt his hearts shatter into a million pieces.

'Right,' he said determined not to let Theta see the hurt that was coursing through him. 'In that case then, I release you from all commitments, oaths and promises that you have made unto me. I release you; I release you; I release you.'

'I accept the release,' Theta replied unable to look at Koschei as he did so; every fibre of his being was willing him to take it back, to beg for forgiveness, to grab Koschei's hand and drag him into the TARDIS and never be separated from him ever, but he had to do it. He had no other choice. 'I accept the release and I in turn release you from all commitments, oaths and bonds that you have made unto me. I release you; I release you; I release you.'

There was silence. Theta had expected to feel something when the bond was broken; some sort of pain or nausea, as he had felt happiness and joy swell up inside him when his soul had been joined but there was nothing.

He looked at Koschei who was still staring down at the floor, still refusing to look at him. Suddenly Theta felt alone, so very alone.

'I am sorry Koschei.'

Koschei lifted his head to meet Theta's gaze; his eyes were dark and his expression was icy, like Theta had never seen before.

'My name isn't Koschei,' he said coldly. 'My name is the Master. You'd better be on your way – Doctor, before they catch up with you.'

Theta nodded and he understood; he had lost the right to use that affectionate childhood name now, but it was the way that the Master uttered his name 'Doctor,' which made Theta realise that he had lost not only his partner; he had lost his best friend too.

He stood watching as the Master turned on his heels and headed down the hill; towards his father's house. He didn't once look back. When he had disappeared from sight, the Doctor moved through the trees towards the spot where he had hidden the TARDIS.

'Please,' he said to her. 'I know you don't like me and I'm sorry I stole you, but please take me away from here. I can't stand to be here anymore.'

The TARDIS, it seemed decided to take pity on him and took off without a single word of protest.

---

The Master managed to get back into the house and back up to his room without being seen. He sat down on his bed with his head in his hands. It was real now. Theta had gone and he had been left all alone.

He fought back the tears as gazed once more up at the familiar Gallifreyan sky. He considered closing the shutters so that he wouldn't have to see those stars and think about the Doctor but then decided against it. Why should he shut out the stars? The stars had always been his comfort. They had never abandoned him. The Doctor was the one who had abandoned him.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and hardened his heart. Nobody else would ever be allowed in there. He would let nobody get close enough to be able to hurt him like the Doctor had. He would never again need anyone enough to feel abandoned by them. He would give nobody else that kind of power.

The Master knew he would have to leave Gallifrey and soon. The entire planet was filled with memories of Theta. He had to get away. He would carve his own path through the universe. He could do it alone. He didn't need anybody. He certainly didn't need Theta.

Lying down on his bed once more he heard the drums beating inside his head only this time he didn't fight to silence them; instead he welcomed the noise, the noise stopped him from thinking; from dwelling on the past and the rhythm helped him to fall into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
